IMF urges calm protests

[Peter K.]

The Onion would add "Protesters ignore IMF". Anyone catch the
final installment of the Commanding Heights on PBS? Not
that bad. Mexico's foreign minister was pretty good. Cheney
was horrendous and spouted platitudes. Larry "Sharon of
higher-ed" Summers whined that "free trade" has an image
problem. Former IMF heavy Fischer apparently thought
everything he was saying was funny b/c he was so smiley
he was almost laughing. The show had more on the anti-
corporate globalization movement than I expected.
And they had a bit on LTCM hedge fund.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/18/international/18IMF.html
April 18, 2002
I.M.F. Urges Calm Protests
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
(the whole paper apparently)

WASHINGTON, April 17 — The head of the International Monetary Fund urged protesters to demonstrate
peacefully at the spring meetings of the fund and World Bank here this weekend, cautioning that
unrest would hurt chances for dialogue.

In making his plea, Horst Köhler, the managing director, acknowledged popular support for the
antiglobalization movement but said the time had come for constructive discussion, not violence.

"We've made mistakes," Mr. Köhler said today at the National Press Club, referring to the fund's
handling of past criticism. "We are absolutely prepared to listen to the demonstrators, to the
NGO's, to be involved in this dialogue."

Last July in Genoa, Italy, a 23-year-old Italian protester was shot and killed by the police while
demonstrating at a summit meeting of industrial nations.
[end]